Incredulity
by EmilyScarlett
Summary: Tony messes up and hurts Steve and now has to apologise. Established relationship. Rated T for one mention of sex and some very, very mild swearing mainly because I'm paranoid.


**Author's Note: So this started out as being humourous but then turned really angsty by the end so... let me know what you think.**

In all honesty, it's a wonder Tony hasn't gone crazy yet. What with a certain super soldier living in his tower, messing up his system, and generally making him fall deeper and deeper in love with him.

Tony had to admit that having _the _Captain America living around him at first had not been ideal. He'd had to spend his days carefully avoiding him, not willing to deal with the conflicted blend of loathing mixed with hero worship that the Captain had inspired whenever he was around.

Loathing because of Howard's obvious preference for the Captain, the preference that had made him the standard that, in Howard's eyes, Tony could never live up to. Hero worship because this was the man that Tony had been raised to idolise and, against all odds, he was actually a _better _man than Howard had said he was. Tony hadn't even thought that was possible until he had met him.

The problem was that Steve was good and kind and sincere and everything that Tony knew he wasn't and that just made him love Steve all the more. He'd tired to avoid it, he honestly had. He'd done everything in his power to avoid loving the Captain, he'd had a plan and everything. But he hadn't factored in Steve Rogers.

It was Steve Rogers who had forced his way into the lab everyday to make sure that he ate and drank something non-alcoholic. It was Steve Rogers who had literally carried him to bed some nights to make sure that he got at least 6 hours sleep, which was incredible by Tony Stark standards. Most importantly, it was Steve Rogers who made Tony fall in love with him by doing all this plus some other non-Tony related selfless things as well.

While Tony admitted that one of the things that had made him fall head-over-heels in love with Steve Rogers was his unflinching ability to care about absolutely _anyone; _this was pushing it a little.

He could handle it when Steve just simply walked away from him while they were out. Him being **Tony Stark**_; __genius, billionaire, playboy (_well, maybe not anymore_), philanthropist. _Admittedly, the reason he could handle it was because Steve had walked away to help some little old lady cross the street with her groceries.

Seriously, how much more of a cliché can one man be?

But Tony had accepted it, because that was just Steve. He was the type of guy to do that because he was just a good guy.

Tony had accepted it when Steve had literally chased after a thief, who had stolen a women's purse when they were out at the park one day, because obviously that was the right thing to do. Tony would have done it himself if Steve hadn't beaten him to it. Plus, Tony had to admit Steve chasing and running down that man; that had been pretty hot. Tony had certainly rewarded Steve once they got home and he was pretty certain Steve had enjoyed that.

Tony had to draw a line somewhere though. That line, he'd found out, could safely be drawn when he found Captain America snuggling in _their bed, _the bed that was pretty much sacred to Tony at this point, in _their bed_ with someone else.

Admittedly, that someone else might only be a foot long and covered in fur but still it was _someone else_!

"Steve." Tony said levelly, with what he though was an admirable amount of self control, "Why is there a ball of fluff in our bed?"

"Because," said Steve, looking up at Tony with such a sincerely heartbroken expression that Tony could already feel himself giving in, "I was at the animal shelter today and they were going to put him down Tony. Can you believe that? They were going to put him down because no one would adopt him."

Steve looked down at the little white and orange bundle again and began to stroke it softly.

"Look," Tony replied gently, rallying what willpower he had left, "maybe there was a reason that nobody wanted to adopt it. I mean it's quite little and it doesn't look very well."

Steve face shot up to look him in the eyes and Tony's breath caught in his chest as agony lanced though him at the expression of _hurt_ on Steve's face.

_Wait, no. _

_Bad. _

_Hurt him. _

_Stop._

_What did I say? _

Tony quickly tried to backtrack, to figure out what he had said that caused such a distressed expression to appear on Steve's face but before he could Steve was already up and out of the room, cat clutched in his arms protectively, leaving a resentfully mumbled "maybe" behind him.

* * *

Tony couldn't understand how everything had suddenly become so messed up. He'd quickly run after Steve and said that _of course _the cat can stay and that he hadn't really even intended to send it away, not if Steve wanted it to stay, he would never do that, just _please_ wait a second, stop walking away _please_.

He realised that he was babbling and that he probably sounded a little hysterical at this point but he'd never managed to hurt Steve this much before and now he couldn't even figure out what he'd done wrong and if he didn't apologise properly then Steve was going to leave him and that absolutely couldn't happen; he'd do anything to stop that from happening-

_Oh God._

Small and sickly. Suddenly he could see it so clearly and _Christ_ why does he always have to open his mouth and just say whatever pops into his head without thinking. The knowledge of how monumentally he'd messed up had stopped him dead in his tracks and allowed Steve to make his escape.

Tony raced after him looking in room after room until he finally found Steve sitting on the rec room floor with his back against the sofa and his knees pulled up towards his chest, still clutching the cat. Tony went to kneel down in front of him and had just looked up into Steve's eyes when his own widened in horror because Steve was _crying_ and didn't that just make Tony the lowest, vilest creature ever to walk the earth. Having made Steve Rogers, arguably the kindest, best, most sincerely good man alive, cry.

"No, no. Steve, please don't cry, please, I can't take it when you cry." Tony whispered hurriedly, wiping the tears from his face and kissing his forehead tenderly before leaning back and looking into his eyes.

"I didn't mean it like that Steve, I swear I didn't. I didn't mean that just because it was small and ill, it wasn't worth looking after. Please, you have to believe me. I was only worried that maybe you would be upset if it didn't survive. I just don't want you to get hurt and I'm sorry I said something so thoughtless and hurt you myself. Please, please believe me."

Tony looked at him earnestly, begging him to believe it, to forgive.

"I believe you." Steve said, giving Tony a little smile. "I'm sorry I reacted to strongly, I should have let you explain. It just… It made me doubt that you'd have loved me still if I looked like I did before the serum. I've never doubted that before."

"Of course I would Steve, I mean you're gorgeous, I have to admit," said Tony smirking, able to act a little more like Stark now that he was sure Steve wasn't going to leave him, "but that's not why I love you. I love you because you're kind and stubborn and too much of a do-gooder for you own good. Even if you were small again I still don't doubt I'd find you attractive, you'd still have the same eyes, still be the same Steve."

Neither were quite sure how it happened or who leaned in first but suddenly the were kissing, soft, gentle, reassuring kisses, each pouring their love and affection into them until they were interrupted by a quiet mewling coming from in-between them. They broke apart.

"Let's get this little … guy? Girl? Guy. Right. Well let's go get him somewhere to sleep then shall we?" said Tony.

"He can stay?" asked Steve, his face lighting up.

"Yes, of course he can stay."

"What'll we call him?" asked Steve.

"Whatever you want, love."

"What about Simba, like from the Lion King?" said Steve, with such a childlike grin on his face that Tony couldn't help but laugh.

"You're adorable. Alright, Simba it is."

**Please leave a review to let me know what you think.**


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